Vacancy
by smile1
Summary: Damon/Emily one piece. Takes place after they break up and Damon leaves her crying at the Pizza Shack. "But the thing with Damon was that they could be in a room together and she'd feel like she couldn't breathe if he walked out again."


**Disclaimer: I don't own the television show _Make It Or Break It__, _nor do I own the characters. All I own is my imagination and the laptop I wrote this on.**

**A/N: **As one obsession fades, another one takes its place. I finally downloaded season 1 and 2 of MIOBI and, despite my reluctance it has quickly become one of my favorite shows. I am now catching up with the season 3 episodes. Emily is not one of my favorite characters, although I was immediately intrigued by the boys in her life when they were introduced on screen. I do have a soft spot for Razor, which is why this story features him favorably. However, Damon is my MIOBI crush and it is a shame that he exited the show. There is something undeniable and appealing about his character. I am a sucker for the tortured artist type. I hope Johnny Pacar will return for a stray episode, but just in case that never happens, I am posting this on here. It's my take on what happens immediately after Damon leaves the Pizza Shack after the two of them break up in "If Only..." Considering all their drama, they deserve to just be happy.

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**Vacancy**

Razor pushed his keys back into his pocket as he snuck back into the Pizza Shack, using the back entrance so he could eavesdrop before being seen himself. He had left Emily and Damon behind after closing up. That was about an hour ago and now he was back, his excuse being that he had forgotten the hoodie he had purposely left behind. It was his duty as a friend to check on her, wishing the best for her, but always carrying a little hope that Damon would screw up, _the way he used to do so often in the past with girls that weren't Emily._ He envied Damon, having found the one who bettered him in Emily, _his _friend and _his _crush. And maybe if Damon hadn't been so persistently in the picture, Emily would have fallen for Razor's charm, but who was he to get in between fate. He would have to settle for his existing spot in her life.

He regretted his resentment as soon as he rounded the corner and saw her. She was sitting at one of the tables, alone and in tears. It was a vulnerable state and heartbreaking to see. Her body trembled underneath the weight of sobs and erratic breaths and he saw the mascara streaks on her cheeks as he got closer.

"Em," he announced his presence to her.

She looked at him, big brown eyes dripping. "Razor," she croaked before another sob escaped her and she covered her face with her hands, embarrassed and in distress.

He threw the hoodie on the counter and hurried to sit down beside her. "Hey," he said to her softly. "What happened?"

She mumbled something from underneath her hands that he only understood half of, so he gently pulled at one of her wrists. "I can't be this amazing listener if I don't get what you're saying."

Emily quickly dropped her hands down onto the table. "He left. Damon left," she repeated, trying her best to minimize the tears, but she knew she must sound hysterical. "He's leaving Boulder tonight."

"Wait, what? I thought he was in town for a few days. I know we're not BFFs anymore, but that's what he..." Razor shook his head. "Why is he leaving tonight? What happened?"

He watched her take a breath in between sobs, not looking at him as she struggled with the words. "He thought I was... that we..." Her eyes flicked over to his. "He assumed that we were a thing."

"Just because we were throwing pepperoni at each other? Yeah, because nothing says we are sleeping with each other like-"

Emily looked away again. "He said that I deserved to just be happy-"

"I hate to break this to you, but he does have a point. You do seem-"

She wiped at her tear-stained eyes before looking at him again, knowing that although Razor was looking out for her, he was also looking out for himself. Her relationship with Damon wasn't what he had expected. "Razor, I am happy with him. But we made this pact in Paris, this stupid pact to meet in two years, after I reached my goal. Until then we..." She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess we're free... free to date other people, but I want to be with him, not in two years, but now."

"And he still walked away after you told him all this?" Razor exclaimed, getting up from the chair. "What an ass. He doesn't deserve-"

Emily shook her head, the sobs no longer wreaking havoc on her body and interrupting her speech. "I didn't interrupt him." She covered her mouth with her hand briefly, looking the saddest he had ever seen her. "I let him believe that you and I were... I want him to be focused on his music and be successful. I let him go and now it's too late. It's too late."

Razor shook his head, crouching beside her so she would have to look at him. "We are going to set him straight." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. "I know where he's staying."

He stood back up and turned around, stopping in his tracks only when he realized she still hadn't moved. "Well, are you coming? I'm going to have a hard time convincing him to stay without you."

"Razor. I didn't tell him about stealing the medicine and about what my life's really like."

"Yeah, well, it's not like he hasn't lied to you before. He'll get over it," he reassured her, adding a smile to seal the deal. "Now, let's go. I'm not leaving you here like this when this," he said while waving his hands around, "can be fixed. Self-sacrifice is not a good look on you, Em." He pulled her up from the chair, placing his hand on the small of her back as he pushed her towards the exit.

Despite the heavy rain, it didn't take Razor long to drive over to the address Damon had given him. He parked in front of the motel and eyed the building across from them. "The label must not have a lot of faith in him if they have him staying here," he remarked while undoing his seatbelt.

He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, waiting for the girl beside him to break the silence. When she didn't, he let out a sigh. "Really? I drove all the way out here in the pouring rain for you to stay in the car and look wistfully at a door?"

"He's probably already gone."

"Wrong," Razor told her, pointing at something to her right. "His fancy rental is still in place."

Emily didn't even bother looking, having already seen the car when they had driven onto the parking lot. "I can't. He won't want to talk to me. We said goodbye."

"You two are so dramatic." He quickly buttoned up his jacket and reached for the door.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to talk to him for you and after I do and smooth things over, you will seriously owe me. Now, do I look decent enough to present myself to the rock star?"

Emily shook her head, listening to Razor chuckle as he opened the door en got out. She watched him run across the parking lot and over to one of many doors. The rain beat against his leather jacket, which was his favorite and she knew that it must be hurting him to give up his fight for her. He must know that if he chose his words right, she would leave his side and the intimate cocoon they could have nested in would become a distant hope and a possible loss. Somewhere, she knew that Razor was more right for her than Damon. He would be the most likely choice, the easier relationship. _But the thing with Damon was that they could be in a room together and she'd feel like she couldn't breathe if he walked out again. _

She pulled the sleeves of Razor's hoodie even further over her hands, aware that she would have to shed the comfort blanket soon enough. She watched Razor hold the door open and Damon's eyes search for her in Razor's car. For a few minutes she could only see Razor's mouth move while Damon took on a defensive stance, arms crossed and legs wide. When he did speak, Razor stopped and listened, nodding his head each time before picking up where he had left off. If only she could have been a fly on that wall... She wasn't scared of the words Damon exchanged with Razor, she was bracing herself for the ones he couldn't.

The conversation came to an end and she lowered her eyes, pulling at her sleeves until she heard Razor open her door. He gestured for her to get out and she did. "Is he mad?" she asked, keeping her eyes on Razor, although she felt Damon's on her.

"Nah, he understands."

Emily nodded, pulling her hands against her chest. "Are you mad?"

"I'll get over it... eventually. After all, you are Emily Kmetko." His smile was faint, but it was more than she had expected so she returned it, reaching over and standing on her tiptoes to hug him. "Thanks, Razor," she said against his leather jacket.

"Yeah, yeah." He broke the hug, not able to take her touch on him for much longer. He needed some time to recover from the loss. "Go. Before I change my mind and want you for myself again."

This time his smile fell from his face before it had even formed. She saw the pain and felt a pang of it shoot through her own body. Her knees buckled, but she caught herself before he could.

"Call me if you need me, okay?"

She exchanged one last look with him. "Okay."

She didn't watch Razor get in the car and drive off. She only had eyes for Damon as she walked over to where he was still waiting for her. She stood before him in the doorway, dripping wet and fidgeting with her sleeves until he motioned for her to come in. She waited until he had closed the door and had turned back around to face her, wanting to say everything that she wanted to. But he beat her to it. "Em," he began affectionately, "why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you stop me?"

Emily stopped biting her lip, keeping her eyes low as she spoke. "Because I want you to be the best you can be. Without me and my problems weighing you down. You're on this fantastic road... and I'm... well, I've fallen from grace." She shook her head, covering her face with her hands briefly before saying, "I was arrested for stealing medicine for Brian because my mom can't pay the bills."

"I could've helped you with that," Damon told her while moving a little closer.

She shook her head. "I don't want to take anyone's money. It's not anyone's responsibility but mine, well my mom's, but..." She sighed, eyes set on Damon. "I'll figure it out. I always do, somehow."

"Fine," Damon agreed with her, another step bringing him close enough to touch her if he chose to. "You won't take my money, but you have to let me be there for you."

"I really want you to, but-"

"M music is not as important as you are," he assured her, the look in his eyes intense. "I love you and if there's something making you feel like there's no way out, then I need to hear it, from you," he added pointedly.

"Razor was just being my friend. We're not... I mean, he jokes about it, but we haven't and I don't want to, not with him at least," she softly confided, looking away immediately as she felt color spread across her cheeks.

Damon's fingers brushed against her face and her eyes found his once again. "I appreciate that he's there for you, but I'd rather you tell me what is on that mind of yours," he finished.

"Okay."

He rested his hands on her hips. "So what do you need, Emily? What can I do?"

"I need you to not leave tonight an-"

"Done," he said, his grip on her tightening.

She released a breath, allowing her hands to rest on his chest as she went on, "And I need you to let me stay here tonight?"

Damon's eyes shone as he looked down at her. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "But we're not sleeping together." She took a step back, feeling her slip from his hold. "Not tonight anyway. Not when I'm an emotional wreck." She went back to pulling at her sleeves.

He took one of her hands in his and tugged her back into his vicinity. "Okay," he said, touching his lips to her forehead. "Still, I am going to ask you to get out of those clothes. You can wear some of mine." It came out sweet enough, though there was a part of him that didn't want her in his friend's clothes. And she understood this, letting him unzip the hoodie. The act was sensually loaded, although it had been a calculated move on his part; he had counted on her wearing something underneath.

As she peeled off the hoodie, Damon searched for some dry clothes for her. He gave them to her and she went to change in the bathroom, leaving the door open just a little, as if inviting him to walk in on her undressed. He restrained himself, keeping the promise he made her and knowing that having her close tonight would be enough for the time being. Still, when Emily came back out, wearing his sweatpants and one of his t-shirts, he couldn't help but picture her up against the wall with his body plastered against hers. His heart raced, especially when she climbed onto the bed, looking at him expectantly.

"Are you coming to bed?"

He nodded, quickly kicking off his shoes and shrugging off his jeans. He was less modest than she was, although he put on his own pair of sweats before joining her in the bed. She instantly cuddled up against him, her body molding with his. She pressed her face against his shirt, inhaling deeply as she took in his scent. _All could be temporarily right in the world just by being near him at the right moment. _Her fingers lingered at the hem of his shirt while his respectfully maintained on the small of her back. "I propose a pact," he began. "When things unhinge, we tell each other to level them out again."

"You'll put your rock star life on hold?" she asked, sounding slightly surprised.

"Yes," he said, nuzzling her hair. "Music won't be my permanent reality, but you will be, Emily Kmetko."

"I like this reality," she shared with him. "And you." Her fingers disappeared beneath his shirt. "You're too sexy," she lazily hummed against him.

Damon chuckled, reaching over to turn off the light. "Come on, sleep with me."

Both closed their eyes, her fingers pressed against his chest while his thumb continued stroking her back.

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**Review Please? **I know it's not the most original story out there, but I wrote it and decided to post it just so the idea would be out of my brain. It's fluff, plain and simple. :) I melt every time I re-watch the episodes with Johnny Pacar in them. My imagination may run wild again and if it does, you will most likely be able to read the result on here. I hope you enjoyed reading this piece? And I would really appreciate it if you told me what you thought. Comments, critique and compliments are always welcome.


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